The eating, drinking, and shopping are all premium-grade, but the
draw of the West Village runs deeper than finding the boots or the
1
cheeseburger that will change your life.The fact that the writer and
poet Dylan Thomas drank himself to death at the White Horse
Tavern, or that Chumley’s was once a speakeasy, enhances the
appeal of hopping onto a bar stool in one of these joints. That’s because a place that bears the
exquisite distress of so many stories offers a richer experience than one where fewer
interesting lives have come and gone (Bob Dylan lived at 161 West 4th Street and wrote a
song about it). Even though you’re not thinking about that as you pick up after your dog on
the next corner--which, by the way, a few more West Village residents could stand to do (you
know who you are)--the feeling of the neighborhood descends from a tradition of creativity
and free thought that was an institution when Jane (rather than Marc) Jacobs resided here.
Even beyond the allure of the beautiful old brownstones and the most idyllic blocks, there’s
something magnetic about walking where Twain, Faulkner, and Baldwin (James, not Alec, or
Stephen, you TMZ’ers) walked.

Map 5

Neighborhood Overview

As long as there has been a grid, The West Village has been off of it. Literally speaking, many of
the streets are named instead of numbered and turn at odd angles--a layout that even gives
some New Yorkers fits (those who live above 14th Street, anyway). Culturally, the West Village
as a bastion of Bohemianism emerged around the turn of the 20th century when an influx of
immigrants and industry diversified the neighborhood and brought down real estate values
to the point that upper-class citizens began to flee up fifth Avenue toward Central Park.
Literary salons, private art galleries, shopping emporia, and experimental theatre soon
proliferated. The writers’ enclave at Patchin Place was established by the likes of e.e.
cummings, Theodore Dreiser, and Djuna Barnes. By World War I, the neighborhood had
become a tourist attraction known for its tolerance of radicalism and non-conformity, and its
celebration of artistic innovation. In the decades that followed, the West Village saw the
opening of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s modern art museum on 8th Street, the Beat
movement, performances by every jazz great you can name at the Village Vanguard, and the
beginning of the gay and lesbian rights movement as marked by the rebellion at the
Stonewall Inn.
While the population of the neighborhood currently reflects a very different socioeconomic
stratum than it did during the true Bohemian Age--gelaterias now outnumber starving artists-much of the architecture and character of that era are still intact. This is thanks to the strong,
and still persistent, preservation efforts that began in the 1940s. The Ear Inn, one of the oldest
bars in Manhattan, was an early example of the New York City Landmarks Preservation
Commission acting to protect a historic building. The Jefferson Market Courthouse, now
part of the New York Public Library, was also saved by the outcry of the community when
faced with demolition.
The atmosphere of creativity and tolerance still permeates the West Village; this neighborhood
is still the gayest place straight men have ever clamored to live in. You can catch a poetry
reading at the Westbeth Building, pick up some new trash talk at The Cage, tuck into a steak
at Old Homestead, run it off at Hudson River Park, and see where Poe was treated at the
Northern Dispensary. Simply put, the West Village is still perfect for eating, drinking,
shopping, meandering, hanging out, going on dates, and generally having more fun than you
can afford. And if you can’t afford any of it, then simply walk the High Line and content
yourself that you’re (literally) above it all, anyway.
Looking for more?

So many classics, so little time: check out The Ear Inn and The White
Horse Tavern for history, the Jazz Gallery and the Village Vanguard for
classic jazz, SOB’s for world music, Marie’s Crisis and the Duplex for show
tunes and cabaret, and Art Bar and Employees Only to feel relatively
(but not too) hip. Then catch a movie at either IFC or revival house Film
Forum.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never go hungry, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just at burger havens Corner Bistro
and BLT Burger. Excellent French restaurants Bar Six, French Roast, and
Tartine compete with Cornelia Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trifecta of Po, Home and Pearl
Oyster Bar for your hard-earned dollars. Cash-strapped? Hit Waverly
Restaurant or Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza while saving up for a night at Spotted Pig,
Aquagrill, or Spice Market.